ESPN College Football

AUSTIN, Texas -- It’s odd, 17 years after he arrived, that Ricky Williams should be back again and this time inanimate, cast in bronze.

He had, after all, always been the ever-changing athlete. Ricky was not one who could be caught in a pose much less by his opponents. Instead Ricky was a subject tough to get a grip on. The dreads. The visor. The disappearance. The dress. Ricky was all those images. What he wasn’t and never will be is someone who can be captured by a single image or even an 8-foot, 1000-pound statue.

That’s not Ricky. Ricky evolves.

It seems everything these days, from Nick Saban to Tim Tebow’s teary speech after an LSU loss, has to be memorialized. Texas decided Ricky should be. He'll be the next to have his likeness placed outside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Right there next to Earl.

To be sure it’s a tribute and honor. Over the top? Sure, but college football must have its heroes. And Ricky, one of only two Heisman winners in Texas history, is the Longhorns.

“It was so funny … I had to take [Williams] down to the running backs meeting. They were just in awe,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “Just bringing a rock star in and walking him into the running back room. They were sitting up front and I walked in and said, 'This is Ricky Williams.’ They couldn't move. They just sat there. They didn't say hello. They didn't shake his hand.”

Fourteen years removed from his playing days at Texas, and this is the response Ricky still elicits from people in and around the program. Maybe that is why the statue seems premature. Ricky, who briefly held the NCAA Division I-A career rushing record, is still a living breathing entity, still changing, still affecting people.

Even to Ricky, the statue seems a tad strange.

“It's going to be funny being a student walking past my statue,” Williams said.

Not that he is going to mind it too terribly much.

“I'm going to walk by it every day,” he joked.

Who wouldn’t?

On the other hand who, at age 35, with money and opportunity who said “I wake up and I say to myself, 'What grand and glorious adventure do I want to do today,” would decide that the adventure would be to go back to school?

Ricky would.

“I want to get a “T” ring,” Williams said. “It’s one of the things I wanted to do a long time ago.”

Despite wandering away from what the public perceived his goals should have been on the football field, Ricky is actually all about goals. Setting them and meeting them. It’s how he came to be at Texas. He wanted to have an impact on a program. He wanted to be a part of something.

In the process he became something.

“I remember when he broke the record, we knew he was going to do it in the Texas A&M game, we just didn’t know how he was going to do it,” ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger, who called the game in 1998, said during the statue ceremony.

He should have known. Musburger had been watching Ricky for more than three years. By that time it was clear that nothing Ricky ever did was understated or subtle. So, when he went through three tackles for 60 yards and into the end zone, it should not have been shock to anyone.

Those are the types of memories David Demming has attempted to evoke with this statue. A Texas fan can now look at this piece of art and remember what Ricky did in those four years.

The fans gets a glimpse at the dreads -- not nearly as long as they would be, and the player -- really at the peak of what he would be -- and they are able to remember a few days and plays from the falls of the late 90s.

But not even Ricky believes this statue resembles who he is, or much less, who he might become now that football is over.

“Close enough,” he said.

Not really. Not at all.

AUSTIN, Texas -- These days, there's lots of hype setting up in Texas' backfield.

Malcolm Brown arrived in Austin a year ago as the nation's No. 2 running back. At 215 pounds, he brought hope the days of power running were back in burnt orange.

There's no parade scheduled (yet?) for Johnathan Gray's arrival this summer, but the nation's No. 1 running back signed on with the Longhorns in February.

With Brown, the two form the most highly recruited duo of backs in the country. Come fall, neither may be the starter.

That job could go to Joe Bergeron.

"He's really good. He's big. He's strong. He can catch," said Longhorns coach Mack Brown.

Don't see Bergeron's name among the nation's elite that flock to Texas every February? No worries. You may see it very often very soon.

The 241-pound power runner was the nation's No. 1 fullback in the same class as Malcolm Brown, but didn't rank in the top 75 prospects in his own state.

He stepped into Texas' crowded backfield as a true freshman and finished second on the team in carries and yardage behind Brown, and competition between the two for the starting job is heating up in the spring.

"His weight has fluctuated between 238 and 241, and he hasn't lost one ounce of speed. And some of his high school teammates came to one of the junior days and saw him and said, 'My gosh, he looks like he's really lost weight.'" Mack Brown said. "I walked over and asked him. And he said, 'I'm 241. I've actually gained weight.' But he's lost body fat. He's in great shape."

Getting in shape and staying there was Brown's chief concern for both of his young backs this spring, and not just in trimming body fat.

Both struggled with injuries throughout their first seasons on the field, and those strains continued in offseason conditioning workout, reigniting concerns.

But during the spring, both have proved they can take the punishment required as running backs in Texas' offense and stay on the field.

"To play and be a great player, you've got to stay healthy. It's a harsh thing to say, but if you're a guy who stays hurt and can't be on the field consistently, then you'll never be a great player," Brown said. "One of the things that Malcolm and Joe needed to accomplish this spring, and they've done it so far, is make sure that they took care of their bodies and they stretch properly and they eat properly and they get well and can stay well, because it's such a bruising position that we're going to have enough guys next year we can rotate guys and we can keep them out there just a limited amount of time and keep them fresh."

Brown noted that past stars like Cedric Benson, Jamaal Charles and Heisman winner Ricky Williams were constantly healthy.

Bergeron, Malcolm Brown and Gray will get their touches come fall, but Bergeron carried the ball 100 fewer times than Brown did last season.

Those numbers could even out if Bergeron keeps at his current pace and if, like Benson, Charles and Williams, he stays healthy.

"Cedric Benson against Michigan, the first play of the game, hyperextended his knee and the doctor said I'm not sure I would play if I was you because you're a first-round draft choice. He said: Tape it up, I'm going to play. He went back in and played every play," Mack Brown said. "That's the attitude we want to get on this football team. We've had too many guys in my estimation hurt. Not talking about those two. But in general. We've had too many guys that will miss a game or miss a practice. So we're putting a tremendous amount of emphasis on who is out there every day, who is consistent every day, who gets ready to practice every day and who is excited about playing every day."

I'm thinkin' of something orange. Something orange. Give up? It's an orange.

• The BCS will eventually move to something resembling a playoff because it has to, writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. He also checks in from Texas' camp, where Mack Brown is employing some schoolhouse techniques to toughen up his team.
• Texas is sticking with two quarterbacks this spring and won't have a depth chart until August, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Who should the Big 12 hire as its new commissioner? How about Mark Womack, the executive associate commissioner of the SEC?
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman imagines a college football world in which college football programs scheduled with guts.
• Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram breaks down three big position battles at TCU's spring camp.
• Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Baylor's Robert Griffin III will both be featured on the ESPN pre-draft special, "QB Camp" with Jon Gruden.
• The Rams are reportedly shopping the No. 2 pick. Colleague John Clayton tells you what that means for RG3.
• Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World catches up with Jayhawks linebacker Steven Johnson before his time at the NFL combine.
• Geoff Coyle of WV Illustrated does the same with Mountaineers linebacker Najee Goode.
• Texas plans to install a statue of Ricky Williams next to the statue of Earl Campbell. It will be 8 feet tall and weigh 1,000 pounds. Just like Ricky Williams.
• The Longhorns' best option at tight end, M.J. McFarland, is looking to make a name for himself, writes the Statesman's Mark Rosner.
• How'd the first year of beer sales at West Virginia's stadium go? AD Oliver Luck is preparing to fill in the school's Board of Governors.

Monday night's Fiesta Bowl was fun, but it's time to move on.

We'll have more coverage of the Cotton Bowl as the week progresses, and I'll be there, but here's a few fun facts via ESPN Stats & Information to get you started.

No. 6 Arkansas and No. 8 Kansas State will go head to head on Friday night in Cowboys Stadium.

• The BCS National Championship Game and Fiesta Bowl are the only other games featuring teams with single-digit rankings.
• Arkansas is 3-0 in Cowboys Stadium, with all three wins coming over Texas A&M. The Aggies, by the way, are 0-4 in the stadium.
• Kansas State is plus-13 in turnover margin, which ranks sixth nationally.
• This year, Arkansas strung together consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since 1988-89.
• Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein has converted 32 first downs by rush, more than any player in the FBS.
• He's thrown 12 touchdown passes and ran for 26 scores, accounting for 84.4 percent of his team's touchdowns. That's the highest percentage of any player in the FBS, just ahead of USC's Matt Barkley.
• With one more touchdown, Klein will tie Navy's Ricky Dobbs at 27 for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history. He's one shy of Ricky Williams' Big 12 record, too.
• He's first nationally in rushing TDs from inside two yards (14), inside five yards (21) and inside 10 yards (23).
• Kansas State ranks fourth in the Big 12 by allowing just 33 plays longer than 25 yards this season, but 11 came in losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
• K-State has scored a touchdown in 29-of-33 goal-to-go situations this season. That percentage (87.9) is 13th-highest nationally.

A Heisman winner? At Baylor?

Uh, no.

After losing his third game in four outings, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III didn't look likely to buck the trend.

"Yeah, he's a great player. Probably the best in the Big 12. But he can't win the Heisman. That's morphed into an award reserved for the best player on the best team, anyway."

Uh, no.

RG3 happened.

It began at Baylor in 2008, when a flashy freshman made tacklers miss against Wake Forest and looked the part of a future superstar.

It built to a crescendo Saturday night, when Griffin became the 77th winner of the Heisman Trophy, the most hallowed individual award in all of sports.

Along the way in 2011, Oklahoma and Kansas experienced dramatic, RG3-led Baylor comebacks firsthand.

Tim Tebow and Ricky Williams are the only other players since 1998 to win the Heisman and not play in a BCS bowl in that same season. Not bad company, considering one is 80 yards short of the NCAA career rushing lead and the other is one of the game's most legendary talents who finished his career with two national titles.

Griffin broke the NCAA passing efficiency record and may soon break the mold for the quarterback position. He's perhaps the best athlete on his team; a strong background in track and field and a Big 12 title in hurdles as a freshman attest to that.

Athletes like Griffin aren't supposed to throw the ball the way he does.

Any number of teams would have moved him to safety or receiver. Not Art Briles. The two Bears have revolutionized the program together, and neither could do it without the other.

Briles has helped Baylor win the most Big 12 games (6) in its history. A Bears player hadn't appeared in the Heisman voting since 1963, according to Big 12 officials, much less won the trophy.

Griffin has changed all that, and he's changed Baylor.

The Bears have their first Heisman winner, and Griffin has his place in college football as a player who will never be forgotten.

Time for the story of Week 12 in the Big 12, as told by calculators.

1: Number of active Big 12 players with more than 1,000 yards rushing after Henry Josey seriously injured his knee.

1,006: Rushing yards by K-State quarterback Collin Klein.

1: Number of quarterbacks nationally with more rushing yards than Klein. (Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois)

13: More yards rushing by Harnish than Klein.

2: Rushing touchdowns needed by Klein to tie Ricky Williams' single-season record of 26.

192: First downs in conference play for Texas A&M, the most of any team.

6: First downs allowed in conference play separating No. 1 Texas (119) and No. 2 Oklahoma (125).

151: First downs allowed by the Big 12's No. 3 team (Iowa State).

22: Fumbles by Texas Tech opponents, the most in the Big 12.

11: Fumbles recovered by Texas Tech, tied for second-lowest percentage in the Big 12.

29.41: Fumble recovery percentage by Texas A&M. Aggies opponents have fumbled 17 times. A&M has recovered five.

7: Teams in the FBS with a lower percentage than Texas A&M.

114: National rank in time of possession for Oklahoma State, at just under 27 minutes per game.

2: National rank in scoring for Oklahoma State, at 51.7 points per game.

1: Player in the FBS with more interceptions than K-State's Nigel Malone, who has seven. (David Amerson, NC State)

3: Touchbacks on kickoffs for Kansas kickers. Iowa State's Grant Mahoney is the Big 12's only other kicker with less than 10.

48: Touchbacks on kickoffs for OSU kicker Quinn Sharp.

10: Oklahoma State players with an interception. No other Big 12 team has more than seven. Texas A&M and Texas Tech have the fewest players with interceptions, with four.

We'll cap our Big 12 preview today with five predictions for the year.

1. The Big 12 will have two teams in BCS bowls. The Big 12 did it in 2007 and 2008, but hadn't done it since the 2004 season before that. This year, the Big 12 is in perfect position to land two teams on college football's grandest stage. Oklahoma, tied with Ohio State at eight appearances for the most in the nation, is the league's surest thing, but there are three quality teams below the Sooners that can get it done. The winner of the Sept. 24 matchup between Oklahoma State and Texas A&M in College Station will lose only to Oklahoma and reach a BCS bowl.

2. Texas Tech and Missouri will have a 1,000-yard rusher. Oklahoma will not. Hop aboard the Eric Stephens and Kendial Lawrence buses. They're going a long ways. For Tech, it'll be the first 1,000-yard rusher since Ricky Williams (no, not that one) in 1998. Both players have strong offensive lines and first-year starters at quarterback. Each is fully capable of handling a big load, and will do it. Meanwhile, Oklahoma will ride its experience at quarterback and receiver while a platoon of running backs split the duty.

3. Oklahoma will go undefeated and play for a national title. The injury to Travis Lewis, possible ineligibility of Ronnell Lewis and a trip to Tallahassee in Week 3 won't deter the Sooners. The offensive firepower is enough to push the Sooners through a rough Big 12 slate unscathed. What happens in that national title game? Well, we'll find out in January, won't we?

4. Texas will not finish in the top half of the Big 12. The Big 12 has too many quality teams with too many quality offenses. Texas reaches a bowl game, but finishes behind Missouri and Baylor, setting for a sixth-place finish heading into a strong spring.

5. Justin Blackmon will become the second player to ever repeat as Biletnikoff Award winner. Believe it or not, but only Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree has won the 17-year-old award twice. That changes this year. Blackmon is the nation's best receiver and he proves it for a second year. His numbers dip to around 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns, but it's still enough to be the clear winner.

The Longhorn Network is just over three weeks away from its launch, but the channel has slowly unveiled its programming as the launch date has crept closer.

Now, the latest batch has been announced. Here's a look, courtesy of the Austin American-Statesman:

• Longhorn Legends -- Coach Mack Brown is joined by former players Ricky Williams, Vince Young and Colt McCoy for a roundtable discussion.
• The Season: 2005 Texas Longhorns -- A look back at Texas' fourth national championship team, led by Vince Young.
• Texas' Greatest Games -- Glimpses at the 10 best games in Longhorns football history.
• Texas' Greatest Athletes -- A panel of experts selected the greatest athletes across all sports in Texas history, and this show will give fans an in-depth look at them.
• Traditions -- Don't know how some of UT's best-known traditions began? You can learn how on this show.

On Monday, we began a week-long project looking at the most-famous touchdowns from 100-plus yards down to 1 yard, and we'll be taking a look at each of the Big 12 entrants on the blog throughout the week.

You can see the full project here.

A Texas touchdown hasn't made our list yet, but the Longhorns grabbed the spot for the best 60-yard touchdown when Ricky Williams went into the history books with style, punctuated by a great call from Brent Musberger: "Eleven yards shy of the record, Williams breaks a hole, Williams ... Hello record book! Ricky Williams, runs to the Hall of Fame!"

Nov. 27, 1998: Texas tailback Ricky Williams broke the NCAA career rushing record with the same power and style he displayed throughout that Heisman Trophy season. Williams burst across the line of scrimmage, broke through two Texas A&M tackles and cut inside a block by Wane McGarity for the last 10 yards. Williams broke the record of 6,082 yards that Tony Dorsett set in 1976, just months before Williams was born.

-- Ivan Maisel

Does Miguel Angel Jimenez do anything but finish in the top 5 of majors?

• El Reno police confirmed what Austin Box's parents believed after his death: He didn't have a prescription for any of the drugs in his system.
• Here's the deal: We're in Texas, and when someone writes about "Friday Night Lights," I'm probably going to link it. Grantland.com's Robert Mays has the oral history of the show. If you've ever seen it, this is a must-read. It's probably a must-read even if you haven't seen it ... which you should.
• Colleague Ivan Maisel weighs in with what we should learn from the deaths of Oklahoma's Austin Box and Alabama's Aaron Douglas.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman has lots of insights on officiating that he learned at the officiating clinic in Kansas City. Good stuff here that most don't realize, including exact rule specifications.
• Stewart Mandel at SI.com isn't exactly driving the Texas A&M bandwagon this year, but says they're "stacked."
• Colleague Bruce Feldman ranks college football's top 10 offensive backfields. Two Big 12 teams crack the list.
• Texas' website caught up with former Longhorn Ricky Williams.
• Why is this in today's links? Because I loved it, and this is my blog. So there. Top two selections ... on the money.
• Iowa State left tackle Kelechi Osemele has dreams of NFL stardom, and apparently hit the genetic jackpot, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• Missouri defensive end Marcus Malbrough has transferred to Lamar University, closer to his hometown.
• Plenty of folks will be talking about this today, so you'd better read it.

Mack Brown, Colt McCoy, Vince Young and Ricky Williams discuss what it means to play football for Texas.

ESPN.com fantasy sports analyst Christopher Harris put out his list of the 2011 draft's top fantasy rookies, and who's sitting alone on top the list?

Former Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas.

I couldn't agree more. If you're a faithful reader of the blog, you know about my love of fantasy football (Vick's Vapo Rub, 2011 fantasy champs), and players' value in the game is centered around the mix of talent and opportunity.

It's pretty clear that Thomas has both. I pegged him as one of my Big 12 draft steals last week, and I feel pretty confident he'll have the best career of any of the Big 12 backs in this year's class.

But after being selected in the second round by Miami, it looks like he could have a busy year ahead of him. That's assuming, of course, that the NFL has a season in 2011.

Miami's two running backs, Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, are both free agents, and using an early selection on Thomas could be a good sign of the Dolphins' hopes for his future.

Thomas proved, without a doubt, that he's an every-down back in his two years in the Big 12. He led the Big 12 in carries both seasons and had the third most in 2010 with 298.

Could that continue into the NFL?

Whoever ends up owning him in fantasy football next year certainly hopes so.

For just the second time ever, the first round of the NFL draft will be the only part of the draft's first day, set for primetime on Thursday night.

This year, the Big 12 could have as many as five first-round picks, and five players from the league are in New York for the draft.

So, let's take a look back. Since the first NFL draft of the Big 12 era, who has the most first-rounders?

Texas: 16

• 2010: S Earl Thomas, 14th overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2009: DE Brian Orakpo, 13th overall, Washington Redskins
• 2007: S Michael Griffin, 19th overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2007: CB Aaron Ross, 20th overall, New York Giants
• 2006: QB Vince Young, third overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2006: CB Michael Huff, seventh overall, Oakland Raiders
• 2005: RB Cedric Benson, fourth overall, Chicago Bears
• 2005: LB Derrick Johnson, 15th overall, Kansas City Chiefs
• 2004: WR Roy Williams, seventh overall, Detroit Lions
• 2004: DT Marcus Tubbs, 23rd overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2002: OL Mike Williams, fourth overall, Buffalo Bills
• 2002: CB Quentin Jammer, fifth overall, San Diego Chargers
• 2001: OL Leonard Davis, second overall, Arizona Cardinals
• 2001: DT Casey Hampton, 19th overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1999: RB Ricky Williams, fifth overall, New Orleans Saints
• 1997: CB Bryant Westbrook, fifth overall, Detroit Lions

Oklahoma: 12

• 2010: QB Sam Bradford, first overall, St. Louis Rams
• 2010: DT Gerald McCoy, third overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2010: OT Trent Williams, fourth overall, Washington Redskins
• 2010: TE Jermaine Gresham, 21st overall, Cincinnati Bengals
• 2007: RB Adrian Peterson, seventh overall, Minnesota Vikings
• 2006: OL Davin Joseph, 23rd overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2005: OL Jammal Brown, 13th overall, New Orleans Saints
• 2005: WR Mark Clayton, 22nd overall, Baltimore Ravens
• 2004: DT Tommie Harris, 14th overall, Chicago Bears
• 2003: CB Andre Woolfolk, 28th overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2002: S Roy Williams, eighth overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 2001: Stockar McDougle, 20th overall, Detroit Lions

Oklahoma State: 6

• 2010: OL Russell Okung, sixth overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2010: WR Dez Bryant, 24th overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 2009: TE Brandon Pettigrew, 20th overall, Detroit Lions
• 2004: WR Rashaun Woods, 31st overall, San Francisco 49ers
• 2003: DE Kevin Williams, ninth overall, Minnesota Vikings
• 1998: CB R.W. McQuarters, 28th overall, San Francisco 49ers

Missouri: 4

• 2010: LB Sean Weatherspoon, 19th overall, Atlanta Falcons
• 2009: WR Jeremy Maclin, 19th overall, Philadelphia Eagles
• 2009: DT Ziggy Hood, 32nd overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 2001: DE Justin Smith, fourth overall, Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas State: 3

• 2009: QB Josh Freeman, 17th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2003: CB Terence Newman, fifth overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 1997: DB Chris Canty, 29th overall, New England Patriots

Texas A&M: 2

• 2003: DT Ty Warren, 13th overall, New England Patriots
• 2003: DB Sammy Davis, 30th overall, San Diego Chargers

Texas Tech: 1

• 2009: WR Michael Crabtree, 10th overall, San Francisco 49ers

Kansas: 1

• 2008: CB Aqib Talib, 20th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baylor: 1

• 2009: OL Jason Smith, 2nd overall, St. Louis Rams

Iowa State: none since 1973 (George Amundson)

A few thoughts and observations:

• I doubt many would be surprised that this list is also a reasonably accurate reflection of overall success since the Big 12's inception in 1996. Obviously, Texas and Oklahoma have dominated. Since 2000, Texas has the nation's fourth-most first-rounders. Oklahoma is No. 6. Their success has paralleled that, along with recruiting rankings.
• In that same breath, it's impossible to look at this list and not once again be impressed with what Mike Leach did. He obviously has the reputation as an overachiever, but looking big picture, he was able to do it with one first-round pick. Nobody beat Texas and Oklahoma more and Leach helped put together what is still the Big 12's longest bowl streak.
• Texas' consistency sticks out, too. Since just 2001, Texas has had two first-rounders in six different seasons. If you've got two first-rounders on your team, you're probably going to be pretty good. The Longhorns, if you haven't noticed, have been. Those two first-rounders in six seasons are more or as many as half the league has in the history of the Big 12. What else you should note? Texas is unlikely to have a first rounder this year, and after Aaron Williams is drafted, Sam Acho probably will be the next to go, which won't be until the third or fourth round.
• Oklahoma State and Missouri's rise over the past three seasons has paid off in the NFL draft. Missouri had three first-rounders in the last two seasons and figures to add two more this year after having just one in the 12-year history of the league before 2009. That's quite a streak, and even more proof of what Gary Pinkel has built at Missouri. One more piece of evidence? Despite losing those two first-rounders, Missouri should be back in the preseason polls next year after losing two of its top players. That's definitely something new in Columbia. The Cowboys figure to add more soon with Justin Blackmon at least. As long as Pinkel and Gundy are at the helm for their respective programs, expect them to continue to rise.
• Don't be surprised by Texas A&M's swoon following R.C. Slocum's departure. From 1990-1998, the Aggies won nine games every season but one. From 1990-96, the Aggies had eight first-round picks. Since 1998? Two seasons with at least nine wins and just two first-round picks.
• More evidence you can't underestimate the importance of having first-round picks? None for Baylor in the history of the Big 12 before Art Briles. In just three years, Briles may have three if the Bears add two more this year with Phil Taylor and Danny Watkins. Taylor and Watkins both came from unlikely sources. Taylor was a Penn State transfer and Watkins a juco transfer that formerly worked as a fireman in Canada.

You might have heard something about this, but 2010 is the last season of the Big 12 as we know it. To commemorate the league's run as a 12-team conference, a panel of 20 media members compiled their all-time Big 12 team. Here's who made it, and you can see the full votes here.

All-time Top Offensive Player: Vince Young, QB, Texas

All-time Top Defensive Player: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

All-time Coach: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

OFFENSE:

QB: Vince Young, Texas

RB: Ricky Williams, Texas and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech and Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State

TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri

OL: Dominic Raiola, Nebraska; Jammal Brown, Oklahoma; Aaron Taylor, Nebraska; Justin Blalock, Texas; Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

DEFENSE

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Tommie Harris, Oklahoma; Grant Wistrom, Nebraska; Brian Orakpo, Texas

LB: Derrick Johnson, Texas; Dat Nguyen, Texas A&M; Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma; Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

DB: Roy Williams, Oklahoma; Terence Newman, Kansas State; Derrick Strait, Oklahoma; Michael Huff, Texas

SPECIAL TEAMS

All-purpose: Darren Sproles, Kansas State

K: Mason Crosby, Colorado

P: Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor

Here's how it breaks down by team:

1. Oklahoma: 7
2. Texas: 6
3. Nebraska: 4
4. Kansas State: 2
4. Oklahoma State: 2
6. Baylor: 1
6. Colorado: 1
6.Missouri: 1
6. Texas A&M: 1
6. Texas Tech: 1
11. Iowa State: 0
11. Kansas: 0

Who got snubbed? Who doesn't belong?

IRVING, Texas -- Solid three days here in Irving with a chance to visit with plenty of folks around the conference. Nobody really embarrassed themselves -- players or coaches -- this week, but I'd say I was most impressed with Texas' Mack Brown, Texas Tech's Tommy Tuberville and Paul Rhoads at Iowa State, though I'd suppose it's no surprise that those three are among the best in the conference at handling the media.

Honest, lean, insightful and slow with the cliches. All three follow that path pretty closely. On to more notes, thoughts and quotes from the final day of the conference's powwow outside Dallas:

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Mike FuentesMack Brown gave a poignant answer to a question about Nebraska's Red Out Around the World video.
• Brown had a great response to a question about the now-edited Red Out Around the World video from Nebraska that caused a ruckus earlier this summer. It was pretty truthful, he stayed away from further inciting the Huskers, but still professionally incisive. If I'm a Nebraska fan, his words have to make me a little furious. Chalk this point up for Brown: "I really think that's a compliment to us, very honestly, for a program like Nebraska to be talking about Texas this time of year and they should be. They're good. They've gotten back. They're in the mix and on the national scene." I don't think he could have handled the issue more adeptly, and he followed it up with lavish praise for the Nebraska fans and way of life, including an often-used anecdote about the Nebraska fans chanting "Heisman! Heisman! Heisman!" at Ricky Williams as he left the field at Memorial Stadium after a Longhorns win.
• I really think Stoops' comments about his offensive line are a big deal. He wasn't shy about criticizing the line last year, and if they still weren't up to his standards, he'd have no reason to stop. If Oklahoma's offensive line is as good as Stoops thinks it is...look out. "We have -- year in and year out -- a fairly good defensive line, and I thought they were toe-to-toe with them all the time and competed with them well,” Stoops said. “So the way they finished the year a year ago. I think all of that together gives us an opportunity to be optimistic.” Before that quote, he mentioned their work ethic in the offseason workouts and praised their efforts during the spring -- the exact opposite of what he said after the spring of 2009.
• On the subject of Oklahoma's defensive line, it sounds like DT Adrian Taylor is right on schedule after suffering an unspeakably gruesome leg injury in the Sun Bowl. Stoops says they plan on him being cleared to play for preseason camp. I wouldn't have bet on that a day after the bowl game, but if Taylor can be healthy and return to his form from last year, Oklahoma's interior should be very, very good with Taylor and former blue-chip recruit Jamarkus McFarland.
• Texas tight end Blaine Irby suffered a bad injury of his own -- to his knee -- two years ago, but Brown didn't sound too optimistic about his return this season. I had heard he was progressing well and looking impressive in voluntary team 7-on-7 workouts, but Brown says he hasn't been cleared to practice yet with camp only a little over a week away. Brown praised up-and-comer TE Barrett Matthews, who you can read more about in our Texas Fresh Faces post from earlier this month.
• Brown mentioned that Texas will schedule some more "Ohio State-type" games in the future. Not much more to say than this: good idea. Should serve as a nice replacement for the strength-of-schedule bump that traditionally came with the Big 12 championship.
• Not media days related, but Texas A&M is apparently a bit uneasy after commissioner Dan Beebe's comments about the $20 million the Aggies were told they would earn by 2012-13. "A key part of Texas A&M's decision to remain in the Big 12 earlier this summer was the Commissioner’s commitment that Texas A&M would receive a minimum of $20 million annually in future conference distributions," Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement. "We remain committed to the conference and fully anticipate that the Big 12 will honor its commitment to Texas A&M." Texas A&M would have regretted leaving the Big 12 for the SEC on their own -- at the very least in the short run -- but I don't make much of his comments yet. All I see now is a concrete possible future spark for future realignment -- along with a theoretical invitation for Missouri from the Big Ten after the conference concludes its expansion study. That is, unless the appropriate amount of money is indeed there when they believed it would be."
• One final note: Former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson has -- by far -- the strongest handshake of any athlete I've ever met, but I ran into a possible future contender on Wednesday: Texas defensive end Sam Acho. I'm not going to do any psychoanalysis, but you notice that sort of thing quickly, even when you're not looking for it.